Monday, May 27, 2013

1. Zlata Sandor/Shaun Sandor - Band On The Moon (Silber)
This is a track from a new E.P. on the Silber label. It's one of the latest releases in Silbers 5 in 5 series where releases will contain five tracks yet last no longer than a total of five minutes. So far the series has spawned quite a few gems and amongst them, this.

"On Tuesday 2nd July A Grave With No Name will return with a new album titled Whirlpool on Lefse Records. Recorded over the course of a year at Holy Mountain Studios in London, Whirlpool is an album of contrasting beauty, from the hushed lullaby of ‘Bones’ and the piano-led curtain call ‘Balloons’, to the euphoric glee of ‘Origami’ and the album’s opening song ‘Aurora’, which glides so perfectly with a sense of subtle romanticism.

The venture from bedroom to recording studio has encouraged a more collaborative approach to constructing songs, with a host of musicians contributing to the album including Linda Jarvis (Echo Lake), Akiko Matsuura (Comanechi) and Alanna McArdle (Ides). Whirlpool completes a narrative trilogy for A Grave With No Name - a trilogy that began in 2009 with the release of Mountain Debris (Lefse/No Pain In Pop), and continued with 2011’s Lower (Boiled Egg). It’s a narrative that confronts the theme of loss, something which could be considered a well trodden path within popular music, but Alex Shields has managed to mine his own distinctive voice , tracing a delicate fissure in the emotional radiography of longing to spellbinding effect. And in Whirlpool he has created his most accomplished and self assured work to date."

3. Unknown Artist - Slick (Expect No Less)
Your guess is as good as mine as to the identity of this one. It's one of four tracks on a 12" E.P. released a few weeks ago on the Expect No Less label which I think is based in France. Only 200 have been produced all on clear vinyl.

4. Levitation - Firefly (Ultimate)
This was, and still is the first track on Levitation's "After Ever E.P." released on Ultimate Records back in 1991.

5. Has A Shadow - John Lennon (Self Released)
This is a track from what I believe to be Has A Shadow's debot album which you can download completely free here.

6. Kigo - Without (Self Released)
One of two great new tracks on the new Kigo digital single which can be downloaded free from their Bandcamp page.

7. Nairobi Matata Jazz - Tamba Tamba (Soundway)
This is a track from the compilation album "Kenya Special - Selected East African Recordings From The 70's and 80's". There is some terrific stuff on this including this track from Nairobi Matata Jazz. I'm pleased to note that the surface noise from the vinyl has not been removed.

8. Dungeon Acid - Nude Descending A Staircase (Clan Destine Traxx)
Limited to just 250 copies this is a record well worth tracking down. It's a 12" on the well named Clan Destine label and features no less than five storming tracks by the likes of Ron Hardly, Tuff Sherm, Worker/Parasite and Torn Hawk who is rapidly approaching God like status in my house. The record appears to be called "Dark Acid" which is a pretty apt description really.

9. Brain f≠ - Sailor Swim (Grave Mistake/Sorry State)
I can't tell you very much about this track at all. it's a taster for a release called "Empty Set" which will by all accounts (their website anyway) be released sometime in the summer as a joint release on Grave Mistake and Sorry State Records. There, now you know as much as me.

10. Dying Machines - Prisoners Cinema (Mush)
Taken from the five track E.P. "What I Have Not Forgotten" which is available now on Mush Records.
"What I Have Not Forgotten, the follow-up EP to Dying Machines' debut, Nicht Sprechen, is a journey through the unresolved feelings of youth. "So We Lived" is an uplifting track that builds slowly from quiet uncertainty into a massive distorted crescendo of resolve. The muted piano and more spartan sonic landscape of "Prisoner's Cinema" plays against the lone cello of "None Of That Matters Now" creating moods as epic and cinematic as they are beautiful. A musical farewell, "It Has Been" once again uses guitars to weave a melancholy tapestry wrought with emotion while the title track, "What I Have Not Forgotten" finishes off the EP by drenching the listener in a slowly building ambient wash of reverberating strings and guitars. What I Have Not Forgotten further drives Dying Machines' stake in the ground as a unique creative force in next-generation neo-classical drone."

11. Cottam - Heavy Handed Disco Police (Audio Parallax)
This is one of three tracks on a lovely white vinyl 12" on Audio Parallax.

12. Menace Beach - Drop Outs (Too Pure)
What a great sound. This is a recent release from the Too Pure Singles Club. It comes on a blue vinyl 7" single which features this track along with "Tastes Like Medicine" on the b-side.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Just a quick notice for all of you who still miss the John Peel show. You might be interested to know that The Perfumed Garden blog has re-opened it's gates after almost five years of inactivity and is now posting a program a day, until I either run out of shows or some jobsworth decides to close it down.

The content on there will increase with the passing of time but already their is more than enough great stuff to improve anyone's weekend, enjoy.

Taken from the new album "Ghost Coloured Halo" which was originally released as a four track E.P. downloadable from Bandcamp back in 2011. It has now been extended to seven tracks and was released through the Projekt label just last week.

Great stuff from the Spanish duo. This is the first track on a four track E.P. which you can download in full completely free from the Eardrums Pop website, and I recommend you do so without delay.

6. Public Service Broadcasting - Night Mail (Test Card)
An album you certainly should own by now is the debut offering from Public Service Broadcasting. It's called "Inform-Educate-Entertain" and was released a couple of weeks ago. It's the sort of thing that make s getting up in the morning worthwhile and if you need any further encouragement to make this record part of your life just download the recording of the recent Inverness gig further down this page. It certainly made my ears smile.

7. Clouds - Radical Cutting Methods (Overlee Assembly)
New single from Clouds on the Overlee Assembly label. This release also contains no less than three versions of a track called "Chained To A Dead Camel" which is just as good as it sounds.

8. Sexores - Doppelgänger (Self Released)
Taken from the two track single "Titán" which can be downloaded free from the Sexores Bandcamp page.

9. Hey Anna - Tim McQue (Self Released)
Another free download this week is the new four track E.P. from Hey Anna which can be acquired here.

10. Gobby - Slick Boi Gel (UNO)
This fine track is taken from the debut album by Harlem based producer Gobby. It's called "Fashion Lady" or "Techno Ass Album" as it also appears to be called. What it is is a collection of ten electronic pieces ranging from the straightforward yet wonderfull opener "Krylon Surf Magix" to the more carefree tracks such as the one included in this Fodder.

11. Dubmatrix and Eek A Mouse - Pull Up Selector (Echo Beach)
Taken from the album "Rebel Massive" which also features contributions from Earl Zero, Horace Andy, Longfingah, Luciano, Prince Jazzbo, Tenja, Tenor Fly and U-Roy so all in all not a bad little line up. "Rebel Massive" is released this week on German label Echo Beach.

12. The Breeders - Cannonball [Live In Stockholm] (4AD)
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of their second album "The Last Splash" The Breeders have re-released the 1993 classic as a three CD set entitled "LSXX" The first CD contains the original album, completely untouched and sounding as it was intended. The other two discs bring together pretty much every other track The Breeders performed around that time including all the tracks from their Safari and Head To Toe E.P.s, b-sides from Cannonball and Divine Hammer, the entire (I think) Stockholm Syndrome live bootleg thing and a splattering of demo's to put the icing on the cake. It really doesn't seem like two decades since The Last Splash was thrust upon a suspecting world and listening to it again now it still sounds bloody great and more surprisingly, relevant! The CD set is great but if you wait until next month you will be alble to purchase it as a seven album vinyl box set which quite frankly makes me leak just thinking about it.

Friday, May 17, 2013

A superb gig from the band of the moment, Public Service Broadcasting. The duo have just released their fine debut album "Inform-Educate-Entertain" which really should be on everybody's shopping list as it's more than just a little bit good, and as you will notice from the download below they're not too shabby live either.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

"After 6 years of playing on stage together, with over 450 shows notched into our collective bedposts and 1 previous (failed) attempt at a live recording in Seattle, 'A Good Night For A Fistfight' becomes our (Los Campesinos!) first official Live Album."
The album is called "A Good Night For A Fistfight" and was recorded on 15th December 2012 at Islington Assembly Hall in London. The band will enter the studio nex month to begin work on their fifth studio album.
"A Good Night For A Fistfight" can be purchased here.

2. DJ Stingray - Cryptic (Unknown To The Unknown)

Taken from the "Imping Is Easy EP" which was I think released sometime towards the back end of last year. Pretty good don't you think?

3. The Churchill Garden - Orange Tree Blossom (Self Released)
Another great new track from The Churchill Garden. I'm really hope to hear an album before I'm too much older.

This is a track from a new compilation album called "The Active Listener Sampler 7" which as you might imagine is the seventh in The Active Listener series. It can be downoaded along with all the previous editions of the samler free from The Active Listener Bandcamp page.

This album appears to have no track names so we will just have to go with "Track 1" for the time being. You will not then be surprised to learn that this track opens the album. I like how it goes on for ages in pretty much the same way and then just when you have accepted that is pretty much how it's going to be it decides to go off in a different direction entirely. The CD is called "10 For Edge Tek" and contains predictably ten tracks all of which deserve your further attention. I don't know how many copies are available but you can certainly buy it from here.

"Edge Tek Inc. is a Finnish shipping concern that moves cargo through the Northeast Passage using ice-crusher tugs and monster barges. They commissioned me to create sounds that would ring in accord with the crack of tugboat prows splintering really thick ice. Here are 10 tracks to rattle in the hull, here are 10 for Edge Tek."

7. Eluvium - Covered In Writing (Temporary Residence)
I know I keep calling things my favorite record of the year but the fact is that a new record of the year keeps appearing on almost a daily basis at the moment and in this moment of typing the current record of the year is the new release from Eluvium. It's quite possibly the most beautiful thing I've heard since the final whistle at Dagenham a couple of weeks ago which confirmed York City's survival in the Football League. It's called "Nightmare Ending" and could be the soundtrack for pretty much anything that has happened to anyone ever but at this weekend will be the soundtrack to my first visit to Aberdeen where I will be scouring the town for any record shops that might be hiding there. Despite the albums lenthy duration listening to the whole thing is no chore unlike the majority of double albums which I usually think should have been released as single albums with the boring bits thrown away.

8. The Fall - Hittite Man (Cherry Red)
Am I the only one who thinks we should have a public holiday whenever The Fall release a new record? The thing with Fall albums is that you have to listen to them several times in order to squeeze every last piece of information from it. I've listened to "Re-Mit" five times now and every play produces something I missed last time. If you get the chance to catch them live on their current tour you certainly should judging on the performance I witnessed at Fibbers in York last week which you can, and should download here.

9. Gatanga Boys Band - Tiga Kundega [Hide and Smile Edit] (Soundway Records)
Another track from the brilliant "Kenya Special Remix E.P." which is available on 12" through Soundway Recordings.

10. Spirits Of Leo - Idle Talk (Self Released)
Another album you can download completely free this week is the first long player from Spirits Of Leo. It's called "Anastasia" and is well worth the couple of minutes it will take you to download.

11. D. Carbone - MetemPsychosis (Repitch)
This is a track from a ten inch E.P which also features the talents of Ascion and Shapednoise. It's the second release on the Repitch label and can be purchased here.

12. Mentalease - False Positive ()
Taken from the album "Living Dream"

Monday, May 13, 2013

I had been looking forward to this one for ages. I mean, it's not an everyday occurrence that the greatest band on the planet come to play in your back yard. Well to be fair The Fall visit York quite often but for some reason this one seemed more important. Perhaps it because of the fantastic new album "Re-Mit" which I trust the majority of sane people in the world now own. It would be wrong to say the new record is a return to form as The Fall are a band who rarely lose form but the current line up are producing some of the strongest material in years, and that goes for the live performance too. I have seen The Fall many times and every time has been memorable but this crew really really do the business as you will hear from the fantastic recording below which I have very rudely stolen from Mr Hanleyfender who has provided us with countless great recordings over the years. I wasn't going to post this one as it's only a couple of weeks since The Fall last appeared on here but sod it. My only question is, who was that bloke with the blond hair who appeared on stage to share the vocals on "White Lightning"? Clearly someone Mr Smith knows quite well as he left the stage in one piece.

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

1. Public Service Broadcasting - Signal 30 (Believe Recordings)
Probably my favorite band at the moment. The album "Inform-Educate-Entertain" was released on 6th May and I trust you will already have got your copy.

2. Kalambya Boys - Kivelenge [The Busy Twist Remix] (Soundway Records)
Possibly the best track in the world at the moment. This really must be played at the loudest volume your equipment can muster. It's one of four tracks on a 12" from Soundway Records which also features remixed versions of tracks from Mbiri Young Stars, Nairobi Matata Jazz and Gatanga Boys Band. All of them are wonderful but this one exceptionally so. The original version of this track comes from 1977 and features on the forthcoming "Kenya Special, East African Recordings from the 1970's and 1980's" compilation which is also available from Soundway.

3. Vampire Slayer - Horse Lords (Self Released)
Taken from the four track E.P. "Silence Wave" which can be downloaded free from their Bandcamp page.

4. The Felt Tips - Garden Of Roses (Odd Box)
This is one of eighteen great tracks which can be found on Odd Box Records latest free sampler designed to promote the forthcoming "Weekender 2013" festivities which occured last week. If you missed out though don't panic because you can still download the sampler in full here.

9. The Semper Teens - Somebody (SUBverse)
What a great E.P. This is the debut release from Brighton band The Semper Teens. It's a fpur track seven inch single which will be released on 20th May on the SUBverse label. Their Bandcamp page will try to inform you that it has sold out but it is lying through it's screen. You can stream all the tracks on their however and if I remember I'll put a link to it on this site at some point this week.

10. Laurel Halo - Throw (Hyperdub)
Taken from the E.P. "Behind The Green Door" which will be released on Hyperdub on 20th May.

11. Legs - Go Ask Your Mother (Loglady)
This is a track from the Oakland duo's debut album "Pass The Ringo" which was released last month as a pressing of 500 on Loglady Records.

12. Wades - Orion (Silber)
Some moments of loveliness to end this weeks Fodder. This comes from a new digital release on Silber Recordings which you can check out here.